genuine bark of an oak is of an afti-colour, 

 tho it is difficult to diftinguiih any part of 

 it from the mofles, that overfpread it : for 

 no oak, I fuppofe, was ever without a greater, 

 or a lefs proportion of thefe pi&urefque ap- 

 pendages. The lower parts, about the roots, 

 are often poflefled by that green, velvet mofs, 

 which in a ftill greater degree commonly oc- 

 cupies the bole of the beech ; tho the beauty 

 and brilliancy of it lofe much, when in decay. 

 As the trunk rifes, you fee the brimftone 

 colour taking poflefllon in patches. Of this 

 there are two principal kinds ; a fmooth fort, 

 which fpreads like a fcurf over the bark -, and 

 a rougher fort, which hangs in little rich 

 knots, and fringes. I call it a brimftone hue, 

 by way of general diftinction : but it fome- 

 times inclines to an olive ; and fometimes to 

 a light green. Intermixed with thefe mofles 

 you often find a fpecies perfectly white. Be- 

 fore I was acquainted with it, I have fome- 

 times thought the tree white- wafhed. Here 

 and there, a touch of it gives a luftre to the 

 trunk, and has it's effecT: : yet, on the whole, 

 it is a nuifance ; for as it generally begins 

 to thrive, when the other mofles begin to 

 wither (as if the decaying bark were it's 



proper 



